Worker crushed to death as Cincinnati highway overpass pancakes onto road below

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Worker crushed to death as Cincinnati highway overpass pancakes onto road below

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 21 January, 2015, 10:55am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 21 January, 2015, 10:55am

Associated Press

Work crews on Tuesday investigate the scene of a highway overpass collapse in Cincinnati that killed one person. Photo: AP

A construction worker was crushed to death and a truck driver injured when a highway overpass collapsed in Cincinnati, dropping hundreds of tonnes of concrete onto the road below and likely disrupting traffic through the heart of the city for days, authorities said.

Transportation authorities said southbound lanes of Interstate 75 through Cincinnati would be shut down for days after a closed overpass exit ramp collapsed onto the highway Monday night.

Workers were removing the ramp that had recently been replaced by a new one when it pancaked down on top of southbound lanes north of the Ohio River and downtown Cincinnati.

Police Chief Jeff Blackwell said were taking down the old bridge when something went “terribly wrong.”

“The big-rig driver is very lucky; in a matter of seconds his fate would have probably been different,” Blackwell said.

The driver was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with minor injuries.

Fire officials said the truck struck the collapsed section as the bridge hit the ground. They said the construction worker was killed in the collapse.

Ohio transportation officials said the interstate would be closed at least 48 to 72 hours. Authorities have hundreds of tonnes of concrete, steel and other debris to remove and must inspect for pavement damage.

The Cincinnati Fire Department said the collapse occurred at about 10:30pm Monday. The cause is under investigation.